A frustrated Allen Iverson has left the Memphis Grizzlies and is not expected to return anytime soon, if at all, a source close to the situation told Yahoo! Sports on Saturday.

The Grizzlies granted Iverson a leave of absence to allow him to return to his offseason home in Atlanta. The source said Iverson wants to clear his head and is extremely unhappy about the lack of communication with Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins over his playing time and role with the team.

Grizzlies officials said Iverson was allowed to leave the team so he could attend to a personal matter. The decision came after he met with Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley Saturday morning in Los Angeles.

“I’m not going to get into the personal reason but it has nothing to do with the other stuff,” Heisley told the Memphis Commerical Appeal, which first reported Iverson’s departure on Saturday. “I’m the guy who said he could go. It’s a real family issue that I don’t think should be reported.”

While it is true Iverson is attending to a personal issue, his problems with the Grizzlies also factored greatly into his decision to leave. Team sources told Yahoo! Sports that Iverson did not ask the Grizzlies to waive him, but there was no timetable for his return.

The Grizzlies are debating whether it’s better to simply waive Iverson to salvage the team’s chemistry or attempt to bring him back.

“He has to hit rock bottom,” one NBA executive familiar with Iverson said. “He doesn’t have the capacity to change.”

Iverson has done nothing to hide his frustration after he returned from a hamstring injury this week and was relegated to coming off the bench. A source with knowledge of Iverson’s thinking said he “probably wasn’t coming back.”

The Grizzlies signed Iverson to a one-year, $3 million contract and would owe him the full amount if they were to waive him without reaching a buyout agreement. Given that Iverson also had problems accepting a reserve role with the Detroit Pistons last season – and that Memphis was the only franchise to show serious interest in him over the summer – it’s unlikely any team would claim him off waivers if the Grizzlies let him go.

Iverson debuted for the Grizzlies on Monday in Sacramento after missing all the preseason and the season’s first three games with a hamstring injury. The Grizzlies lost to the Kings in overtime, and Iverson immediately questioned his limited role after the game. He also criticized his teammates for not noticing he was open on the final possession of regulation.

“I’m not a reserve basketball player,” Iverson said. “I’ve never been a reserve all my life and I’m not going to start looking at myself as a reserve.”

Iverson made similar comments two nights later after the Grizzlies lost to the Golden State Warriors. After Friday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, he told reporters that he was concerned that his relationship with Hollins was already off to a bad start.

In an interview with Yahoo! Sports early last week Iverson said he could envision the end of his career.

A little more than a week into Allen Iverson's leave of absence, the Memphis Grizzlies signed free agent point guard Jamaal Tinsley.

Tinsley missed all of last season and much of 2007-08.

The Indiana Pacers waived the 6-foot-3 point guard in July, and he became a free agent after clearing waivers.

"We are pleased to add a veteran playmaker with Jamaal's credentials to the team," general manager Chris Wallace said in a team release. "He will add experience and high-level passing ability."

Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

Iverson missed the preseason with a partially torn left hamstring and left the team for personal reasons late last week with permission from owner Michael Heisley.

Iverson had expressed displeasure that the Grizzlies used him off the bench in the three games he played before leaving for his home in Atlanta.

Tinsley, a Pacer since 2001-02, has career averages of 10.4 points and 7.0 assists, but he has been hampered by injuries and legal problems in recent years. The Pacers told him not to report to training camp last season and did not allow him to play.

Tinsley was owed $14.7 million over the next two years from the Pacers when he was waived. Details of any resolution were not released.

Tinsley was connected with three late-night conflicts in a 14-month span.

He was there when Stephen Jackson fired several shots into the air before being hit by a car at an Indianapolis strip club in October 2006.

He faced a felony charge of intimidation and misdemeanor counts of battery, disorderly conduct and intimidation after a bar fight in Indianapolis in February 2007, but agreed with prosecutors last year that if he stayed out of trouble for two years, all charges would be dropped.

In December 2007, someone in a truck fired shots from an assault rifle at three cars carrying Tinsley's entourage outside a downtown Indianapolis hotel. Tinsley wasn't hurt, but Pacers equipment manager Joey Qatato was struck in both elbows as he sat in one of the cars.

Tinsley was originally drafted by the Grizzlies in 2001 with the 27th overall pick. Tinsley's rights were then traded to Atlanta along with Shareef Abdur-Rahim for the rights to Pau Gasol, Brevin Knight and Lorenzen Wright. Later that evening, Tinsley was sent to Indiana for a future first-round pick.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Allen Iverson experiment with the Memphis Grizzlies is over.

Memphis announced Monday that the team has ended its one-year contract with the 10-time All-Star and former league MVP in what it called a mutual agreement. Iverson was not placed on waivers by the 6 p.m. ET deadline on Monday so is expected to be waived on Tuesday, a league source told ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan.

Under the agreement, Iverson will receive only a fraction of the $3 million he was scheduled to earn. If he clears waivers, he will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday night.

At least one team has confirmed it has interest in Iverson. New York Knicks president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh told the New York Daily News on Monday night that the team will explore the possibility of signing Iverson.

Iverson began an indefinite leave of absence on Nov. 7 to deal with a personal issue after playing only three games with the Grizzlies, all in California.

"Because of personal matters that forced him to leave the team on November 7, Allen will step away from the game at this time, allowing him to focus on those matters," general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement. "As a result, we will be ending our contractual agreement with Allen, which will allow both parties to move forward. We wish Allen the best."

Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, did not immediately return a message left by The Associated Press on his cell phone. Iverson, who announced he was headed to Memphis on his Twitter account, hasn't posted any updates there since Nov. 2 when he played his first game with the Grizzlies.

Memphis owner Michael Heisley told the AP last week he would be happy to trade Iverson to another team if a better deal came along.

Few NBA teams had shown interest in the 34-year-old guard before Memphis signed him to a one-year, incentive-laden contract on Sept. 10. Memphis fans greeted the biggest star ever to play for the Grizzlies with a big crowd for his introductory news conference and eagerly bought up his No. 3 jersey, though he wound up never playing a game on the team's home court.

Iverson didn't help himself much during his short stint with his fourth NBA team. He missed the preseason with a partially torn left hamstring and didn't debut with the Grizzlies until Nov. 2 at Sacramento.

Immediately, Iverson began talking about his distaste for coming off the bench and being on a rebuilding team filled with youth from Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo to recent draft picks Hasheem Thabeet and DeMarre Carroll.

The four-time NBA scoring champ became the 16th player in league history to score 24,000 points in his career in his second game against the Golden State Warriors. He played against the Lakers in Los Angeles, where he also met with Heisley before being given permission to take an indefinite leave.

But the Grizzlies got tired of waiting for Iverson to decide what to do next.

They signed point guard Jamaal Tinsley on Saturday for some much-needed help with the Grizzlies struggling at 2-8 this season.

Information from ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Some team desperate to make a splash in the headlines will sign AI.The Bobcats? Don't count on it with Larry Brown in charge, for now.The Knicks? Cleveland?We may be waiting a while to find out The Answer.

PHILADELPHIA — With no apparent interest from NBA teams, Allen Iverson is set to retire, according to an online report.

Commentator Stephen A. Smith published a statement on his Web site Wednesday attributed to Iverson. It said Iverson plans to retire but also that "I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level."

The statement also said Iverson has tremendous love for the game and the desire to play, adding there is "a whole lot left in my tank."

"His legacy would be huge," Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star LeBron James said. "He's one of the best when you talk about guys 6-foot and under in the game of basketball. He played injured and he played hard every single night. I don't think it should end this way, but if it does, he's left a lot of great things behind."

The 10-time All-Star played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.

It was the second straight ugly ending for Iverson, who was unhappy last season playing for the Pistons. He was upset that Detroit coach Michael Curry and Memphis' Lionel Hollins used the former MVP as a reserve.

The New York Knicks considered signing Iverson last week after he cleared waivers, before deciding he would take too much playing time away from younger players they are trying to develop.

The Knicks seemed to be the only team who would consider bringing in Iverson, so there was no guarantee he'd play in the NBA this season, anyway. Still, the announcement Wednesday came as a surprise to George Karl, who coached Iverson in Denver.

"I think he still has something left to give some team out there. If that's his decision, he'll go down in history, I think, as the greatest little guard ever to play the game of basketball," Karl said.

"I was happy to have him for a couple years and hopefully our paths will cross. But I have a sneaky feeling that somewhere along the way an injury or a circumstance with a team will open that window back up."

One of the NBA's great scorers, Iverson entered this season with a career average of 27.1 points that ranked fifth all time. Yet there was almost no interest in him this summer before he went to the Grizzlies on a one-year deal.

Iverson can still score, as he averaged 17.4 points with the Pistons last season. Yet he has made it clear he doesn't view himself as a backup, which has likely hurt his chances of signing with a contending team.

The 6-foot guard thanked former players and coaches in the statement, plus the fans in Memphis and Philadelphia, where he spent his best years. He said stepping away would allow him to spend more time with his wife and kids.

He also said he thought he could still play after 14 seasons.

"I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn't help my team the way that I was accustomed to," it read. "However, that is not the case."

Messages were left for Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, and his business manager, Gary Moore.

If this is the end for Iverson, he leaves with four scoring titles and a playoff scoring average of 29.7 points that ranks second only to Michael Jordan. He led the 76ers to the 2001 NBA finals but never won a championship.

Or he could choose to wait and see if a team in need of a scorer comes looking for him later this season.

"I don't ever believe anyone retires until they get to the point they have to," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "He had a great career if it is true, but I still think he has more to offer."

Sure, AI still has something more to offer, a case of clubhouse cancer to whichever team would sign him.

PHILADELPHIA -- Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers are closer to a reunion.

The Sixers offered a one-year, nonguaranteed contract to Iverson on Tuesday, a source confirmed to ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher. Iverson had not yet accepted the deal, according to the source.

Iverson, his agent and business manager met with team president Ed Stefanski, coach Eddie Jordan and two other members of the organization Monday during the first formal meeting between the Sixers and their former MVP.

CSNPhilly.com first reported the offer.

A person with knowledge of the deal, who also spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the talks had not been made public, said Iverson's decision should come Wednesday.

The person says the 76ers are taking a chance on Iverson because he's the best free-agent guard available and the financial commitment is minimal. The Sixers would owe just under $650,000 if they guarantee his contract for the remainder of the season on Jan. 10.

Iverson would still need to undergo a physical before the deal is complete.

Iverson announced his retirement last week after an ill-fated stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. The 10-time All-Star was NBA MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the NBA Finals.

ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported early Tuesday that the Sixers, according to two sources close to the situation, were targeting Monday's home game against the Denver Nuggets for Iverson's return to the team that drafted him in 1996.

After club officials met face-to-face with Iverson and his representatives for nearly two hours Monday before Philadelphia's 104-102 loss to Dallas, three of the organization's key figures -- Jordan, Stefanski and Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider -- all insisted publicly that no firm decision has been made on re-signing Iverson for the rest of the season.

But sources stressed to ESPN.com that plans behind the scenes had progressed to a level where Iverson's return was now regarded by both sides as far more likely than not. Although it remains unclear whether Iverson has the leverage to command anything more than a prorated share of the $1.3 million veterans' minimum, all indications late Monday suggested that only an unforeseen about-face by the Sixers could prevent Iverson from formally rejoining them by week's end.

The 6-foot Iverson, a four-time scoring champion, played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways, and no team has expressed interest in signing him.

He's on the brink of getting a second chance with the Sixers. The Sixers (5-13) have lost seven straight games entering Wednesday night's game at Oklahoma City and need Iverson to spark sagging ticket sales and their playoff chances.

This reconciliation was once thought foolish after their acrimonious split three years ago. Iverson's last game with Philadelphia was Dec. 6, 2006 in Chicago. He refused to play the fourth quarter and was banished from the team two days later. He was eventually traded to Denver as part of the Andre Miller deal, and bounced to Detroit then Memphis.

The Sixers finish their four-game road trip Saturday against the Charlotte Bobcats and Iverson's former nemesis, coach Larry Brown.

If Iverson accepts the offer, his likely debut would come Monday night at home against Denver. In a double-dose of intriguing timing, the Sixers play at home Dec. 9 against Detroit.

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley told the AP on Tuesday that he spent almost an hour on the phone with Stefanski before his meeting with Iverson.

"I told him I thought Allen had the game and I thought he would be a positive contribution to his team and was sorry it didn't work out with us. I thought to get back with Philadelphia, it was a good chance it would work out for them. I feel extremely happy about it," Heisley said.

"Quite frankly, I'm sorry that we couldn't work it out between us and Allen. I don't feel duped. I don't feel upset. I quite frankly arranged for the severance, which we could've stopped which would've stopped him from being able to play for anybody. I did it so he would have an opportunity to go play."

One source told ESPN.com that the team has already made tentative plans to send assistant coach and former Iverson teammate Aaron McKie home from the Sixers' current road trip to meet Iverson in Philadelphia later this week and work him out to ensure Iverson's readiness for the Denver game. The Sixers play Thursday in Oklahoma City and Saturday in Charlotte before returning to Philadelphia.

Although another team insider cautioned that no deal with Iverson should be considered done until it's official -- especially after the New York Knicks seemed to get just as close to signing Iverson earlier this month before electing to back out at the 11th hour -- there was an unquestioned sense of inevitability in the locker room in Dallas that Iverson will soon be a Sixer again.

"No doubt he's coming back," one source said.

Information from The Associated Press, ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein and ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher was used in this report.

Why the hell not? Iverson gets to return to the scene of his most memorable NBA moment.

Sixers president Ed Stefanski announced the signing Wednesday on the team's Web site. Iverson is expected to make his debut Monday at home against the Denver Nuggets.

"In light of the recent injury to Lou Williams, which will sideline him for close to eight weeks, we felt that Allen was the best available free agent guard to help us at this time," Stefanski said in a release.

Williams, who averaged 17.4 points and 5.1 assists, broke his jaw in Philadelphia's loss to Washington on Nov. 24.

Iverson, his agent and business manager met with Stefanski, coach Eddie Jordan and two other members of the organization Monday.

The 34-year-old Iverson announced his retirement last week after an ill-fated stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. The 10-time All-Star was NBA MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the NBA finals.

"We had, at times, a rocky road with Allen Iverson, but we also had a fantastic run with Allen," Peter Luukko, COO of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the 76ers and Flyers, told The Associated Press. "The expectations with Allen have changed dramatically. We're not looking for Allen to individually lead this team the way he has in the past."

Iverson was offered a one-year, non-guaranteed contract on Tuesday, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract talks had not been made public.

The Sixers would owe just under $650,000 if they guarantee his contract for the remainder of the season on Jan. 10. Stefanski plans to talk about Iverson's return in a noon teleconference.

In 10 seasons with the Sixers, Iverson posted the highest scoring average in team history (28.1), was second on the points list (19,583) and holds the record for 3-pointers (877). He was a seven-time All-Star, won four scoring titles and two All-Star game MVPs.

The Sixers (5-13) have lost seven straight entering Wednesday night's game at Oklahoma City and need Iverson to spark sagging ticket sales and their playoff chances.

Luukko said Iverson's deal was "absolutely, strictly a basketball decision."

This reconciliation was once thought foolish after their acrimonious split three years ago. Iverson's last game with Philadelphia was Dec. 6, 2006 in Chicago. He refused to play the fourth quarter and was banished from the team two days later. He was eventually traded to Denver as part of the Andre Miller deal, and bounced to Detroit before landing in Memphis.

"Certainly, the way it left off, it's surprising. But anything can happen in sports," Luukko said.

The 6-foot Iverson played three games this season with Memphis before taking a leave of absence to attend to personal matters. He was waived after the two sides agreed to part ways.

The New York Knicks considered signing Iverson after he cleared waivers, before deciding he would take too much playing time from younger players they are trying to develop.

He will likely start for the Sixers with Williams out. Iverson's refusal to come off the bench ended his time in Detroit and Memphis on a sour note.

Iverson would get another look at his former teams after playing Denver. The Sixers, who have not won a playoff series since 2003, play at home Dec. 9 against Detroit.

Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft, but his 10 turbulent seasons in Philadelphia were marred by his rants about practice, run-ins with former coach Larry Brown, arrests, and a failed rap career.

Iverson often arrived late for practices or missed them entirely. In one infamous blowup at the end of the 2002 season, he repeated the word "practice" nearly 20 times during a rambling monologue.

"Times change, situations change," Luukko said. "The best way was to make this a basketball decision. Don't get personal with it."

Iverson has career averages of 27 points and 6.2 points in 889 career games in 14 seasons. He is tied for the fifth-highest scoring average in NBA history and ranks third among active players.

Iverson has played in 71 career playoff games and owns the second-highest postseason scoring average (29.7 ppg) in NBA history, trailing only Michael Jordan (33.4 ppg).

Allen Iverson was named as one of 14 finalists for the 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame alongside the likes of fellow NBA greats Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming, college coaching legends Bo Ryan, Tom Izzo, Eddie Sutton, and Muffet McGraw and former WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes.NBA TV’s Rick Kamla interviewed the Sixers legend after the announcement, telling him “we may be seeing you later this summer.” A confused Iverson was hilariously skeptical of a potential meet-up with the veteran reporter, shooting back with a bewildered, “Later this summer…where?”It was only after Kamla clarified that he meant in Springfield, Massachusetts – you know, where the Basketball Hall of Fame is located – that Iverson finally understood.